The Devil Wears an “I Voted Sticker”– NYFW opens with march to make voting a trend

Thousands of people dressed in couture and sporting white T-shirts bannered with “Fashion For Our Future” made Herald Square in New York City their runway. As the crowd chanted "V-O-T-E" and held signs as they walked up Broadway Avenue, this looked like a political rally to many onlookers. But this was no ordinary protest—it was the powerful opening of New York Fashion Week.

NYFW, a biannual event which typically sets trends one season ahead, made an exception to include one important fall trend– voting. The Council of Fashion Designers of America collaborated with Vogue to unite designers, models, editors and influencers to raise awareness about the importance of voting in the upcoming 2024 election. The non-partisan march was led by some of fashion’s biggest names such as Zac Posen, Tory Burch, Anna Wintour, and Michael Kors. Scattered throughout the crowd were representatives from the voting rights organization, I Am a Voter.

“The fashion world is so visible. It’s how you express yourself and how you can also express yourself is by voting so there’s a synergy there that’s relevant,” said Racheal Conrad, Partnerships Coordinator for I Am a Voter. Conrad traveled from Los Angeles, CA to help register voters for this event. “We just want to create an identity around being a voter and it’s not so much about you're a voter in this election but a voter always.”

As people marched, there was a sea of phones documenting their outfits and participation. Towards the front of the crowd, the who’s who of the fashion world were posing for photographers, making it look more like a photo op.

Even if it were a photoshoot, it might be enough to inspire others (and not just those in attendance at the march) to vote. NYFW's global reach generates billions of impressions which is being garnered to encourage the importance of voting, according to the CFDA. The official NYFW Instagram account has almost 1 million followers.

I Am a Voter hopes to reach younger voters through this collaboration event. Conrad says it’s more difficult to engage with younger voters which is an important voting bloc. In the upcoming 2024 presidential election, Gen Z and millennial voters will make up around 48.5% of eligible voters in the country, according to Statistica.

“It’s fashion week, it’s flashy, it’s cool,” Conrad said. “When you couple a social impact initiative with a lighter thing like fashion, that’s more accessible, you get more results.”

Throughout the march, the common theme was one of unity. Maybe it was the matching T-shirts designed by Zac Posen or seeing people walk in unison. Whatever it was, for those in attendance it was refreshing for an industry that has a reputation of being competitive.

“When these events happen it’s like having people sit at a dinner table to discuss different things that are happening within the fashion industry and its effects on the world,” Melquan Ganzy, Assistant Professor of Fashion Management at Parsons School of Design said.

While the crowd was mostly made up of voting-aged citizens, Samira Nasr, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, brought her 11-year-old son to the march.

“It was important for me to show him how to be engaged in the political process and to exercise his right to vote,” Nasr said.

When participants arrived at Bryant Park, the march transformed to a rally with guest speakers. Attendees were led through metal detectors and all the bright-colored statement handbags were searched. A reminder that a threat to public safety is not exempt at fashion week.

Once inside Bryant Park, designer and CFDA Chairman Thom Browne stood on a small stage to welcome the participants.

“Fashion is not just about what we wear– it’s a powerful voice and platform for what we stand for,” Browne said to the crowd. “We are here as the American fashion industry to demonstrate to the world that supporting democracy and peace here and globally are vital…and that means we all must vote.”

From financial to environmental impacts, fashion is affected by politics. This message was echoed from guest speakers to attendees who work in the industry.

“Fashion and politics go hand-in-hand,” Jody Gonzales, Associate Manager of Brand Creator Content at Coach said. “There are a lot of politics behind fashion that no one really sees, so having this event aimed to bring more awareness to others matters.”

The event ended with First Lady Jill Biden making a surprise appearance. She entered the stage to applause and more people chanting “vote.” She reminded the crowd that there has been a longstanding connection with fashion and social change.

“When AIDS engulfed the industry, you raised awareness and money for research and you did the same for breast cancer," Biden said. “Fashion has always been our future. This much is clear, you walk the walk– and you’ve always done it together.”